Page 9 of Billionaire Games
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Jess gotup to go to the bathroom and found the cute guy with a bevy of blonde curls that went to his shoulders was wiggling his finger at her. She couldn’t help but smile at the man who was giving her a sexy grin.
Step by step, she made her way to him. “Thanks for the drink, Griff. It is Griff, right?” her words were laced with an Irish accent.
“It is. My full name is Griffin Houser. I’m from Montana, here on some unofficial business. And your name is Jess,” he said as he gazed into her icy emerald eyes. His favorite color. “And I bet you’re fresh from Ireland.”
“You’d lose that bet if you made it. I was born here. My siblings were born in Dublin, though. We summer there each year. Our accents come from our parents. Theirs are truly awful.” Her hand moved to rest on her hip as she said, “Jessica is my full name. But everyone calls me Jess. So, thanks again for the beer. It was nice meeting you. Bye.” With that, she turned and walked away, slightly shaking her rounded bottom, making Griffin drool a little.
He was met with a napkin, Ethan held to his chin. “Watch out, lover boy.”
“She’s hot!” was all Griffin could say.
“Go after her, stud,” Phoenix said as he caught Cait’s eyes. “I’m reeling mine in next.” With a wiggle of his finger, he found the adorable redhead getting up and coming his way as Griff vacated his chair, going after Jess.
Phoenix patted the empty seat near him. “Have a seat, gorgeous.”
Cait gave him a smile and took the seat. “So, did you like the Superman I sent you?” Her Irish accent was obvious.
He nodded. “What did you think of the Rob Roy I sent you, Cait?”
“It was sweet in more than one way,” she said as she found herself falling into the dark depths of his milk chocolate colored eyes. “You have a distinctive look, Phoenix.”
He scooted his chair closer and leaned in close to whisper, “I have a lot of distinctive features. I’d love to show you them all.”
A giggle erupted from her, and she found herself blushing, a thing it was hard for anyone to get her to do. Cait was a woman who wasn’t easily impressed. But the man in front of her was the most impressive man she’d ever seen in her life. “You’re probably a man I should run away from. Sure to be a heartbreaker.”
“Nah, I could never break your heart, Caity-cat.” He ran one finger along her collar bone, making chills flow through her.
“Where’re you from?” she asked him as she found herself allowing him to touch her and she never allowed such a thing.
“Texas, a little city, called Corpus Christi but I have some land in a little place called Karnes County too.” He leaned in even closer, taking in a sniff of her perfume. “It that cloves I’m smelling?”
“It might be. It’s a new perfume my mom gave me for my birthday last week.” Cait moved back a little as he was so close and the heat between them was growing intense.
“Birthday?” he asked as he closed the distance between them again, feeling the connection that was forming quickly. “And how old is my Caity-cat?”
“I’m twenty-three,” she answered. “And you are?”
He moved his fingers up the side of her neck as he said, “Thirty-five. I love the dark shade of auburn your hair is. It’s amazing.”
“Thanks, I get that a lot.” She settled back in her chair, making his hand leave her neck as it was making her want to kiss the man she’d barely met.
“I bet you do.” Phoenix wasted no time touching her again as he ran his finger across the bridge of her nose. His eyes went from her pale green eyes to the freckles on her nose and upper cheeks. “The dusting of light freckles is adorable. You’re utterly adorable. How’ve you not been snatched up yet?”
“Maybe because I’m not looking to get snatched up. I’m busy with work and college. I go to MIT, I’m majoring in food engineering. You’ll probably think a lot differently of me when I tell you this part, I’m into making meals out of insects.”
“Nope, I still find you fascinating,” he said then let his finger move over her plump red lips. “So, a few bugs have passed through those lips, huh?”
“A few,” she said as she fought herself not to suck his finger into her mouth that was watering for the inexplicable man.
The sound of her sister’s voice broke the spell she was under as Phoenix held her eyes with his, “Cait! What the hell are you doing?”
Cait looked away from Phoenix, finding her older sister standing with her hand on her hip, glaring at her. “What? This is Phoenix, by the way, Miss Rude. Phoenix, this is Kellie. A nosey person.”
“Nice to meet you, Kellie,” Phoenix said as he sat back a bit with the arrival of the protective woman.
Relieved to hear another Irish accent for him too, had Ethan watering at the mouth. “Leave them be, gorgeous,” Ethan said as he got up, taking Kellie’s hand and leading her to the bar. “I gestured for you to come over here for a very different reason than for you to come and chastise my friend’s new acquaintance.”
